The creation of a flow path containing numerous passageways of closely controlled size and configuration is useful in a variety of applications, including the filtering of particles from a fluid and the contact of a fluid with a particular material which forms the walls of the passages. Recent developments have enabled the production of spherical shells of closely controllable outside diameter and great uniformity, in a wide range of sizes and materials (both on the outside and the inside of the shell). The utilization of such uniform shells to form passages of closely defineable size and shape would aid in the creation of filters and other multi-passage devices.
The above-described shells contain a fluid within the shell walls. This enables difficult-to-store fluids to be kept, provided that they can be dispensed in a controlled fashion when needed. The provision of a dispenser which can dispense fluid from shells would have considerable use.